Conflict of interest

Conflict of interest (CoI) can be defined as a situation where the impartial and objective exercise of the functions is compromised for reasons involving family, emotional life, political or national affinity, economic interest or any other direct or indirect personal interest.

Who is concerned?

Financial actors and other persons, including national authorities at any level, involved in budget implementation under direct, indirect and shared management, and the proximity with decision making process, particularly relevant during project selection processes, including acts preparatory thereto, audit and control. Failing to address conflict of interest situations can lead to irregularities and corrective measures (financial corrections, recoveries, penalties).  

Why avoiding conflicts of interest?

• Protect sound financial management of EU Funds 
• Ensure impartiality of persons involved in the implementation of EU Funds 
• Preserve public trust in public administration at the national and EU level 

Where to start

Obligations and responsibilities are covered by:

Financial Regulation (EU) 2018/1046, Article 61

Directive 2014/24 on Public Procurement (PP), Article 24

Interreg Regulation (EU) 2021/1059, Article 25.3(b) – the selection of small projects, Article 28.2 – Monitoring Committee and its Rules of Procedure, Article 58.1 (b) – Procurements in partner countries under IPA III or NDICI.

The recommendations for measures that could be put in place to avoid and manage conflict of interest situations including practical examples are provided in the

Guidance on the avoidance and management of Conflict of Interest (CoI) (2021/C 121/01).

What we are working on

IInteract continues to place strong emphasis on the prevention and management of Conflict of Interest (CoI) in Interreg programmes.

To support this priority, a dedicated online workshop was organised in 2025, featuring a representative from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). The session addressed conflict of interest alongside broader challenges related to fraud prevention and detection.

In 2026, this topic will be further explored across several Interact events, including:

• InterFIN
• Networks for Finance Officers, and Controllers

Further details on upcoming events, including dates and locations, will be shared in due course.

Interact is also working in cooperation with Interreg programmes to develop a template for the Declaration of Absence of Conflict of Interest. The final version will be made available in the Library.

Contact 

For more information please contact Florin Neculcea.

Want to exchange on this topic?

Interact offers an online space for those working on Conflict of interest, and with wider Financial programme management to share information and exchange. You can find out more about our MS Teams environment on our Networks page, and see all our networks in our Portal. 

 If you would like to learn more about this, please contact Florin Neculcea.